This present invention relates to a new and distinctive grapevine cultivar, designated JB05-22-3-27. All publications cited in this application are herein incorporated by reference.
The goal of plant breeding is to combine in a single variety or hybrid various desirable traits. For fruiting crops, such as grapes (Vitis), these traits may include resistance to diseases and insects, tolerance to heat and cold, greater yield, better viticultural quality, high concentrations of anti-oxidant phytochemicals, ease of hand or mechanical harvesting of berries, uniform berry size and color, and pleasant aroma and flavor.
Grapes botanically belong to the family Vitaceae, which is divided into 16 genera. Of these, Vitis is the only genus with economic importance. The genus Vitis is divided into two subgenera, Euvitis Planch. and Muscadinia Planch. The subgenus Euvitis has 38 chromosomes and many berries borne in each cluster so that the general term ‘bunch grape’ is given to all species of Euvitis. Muscadinia has 40 chromosomes and smaller clusters, with a common name of muscadine grape.
More than 60 species have been described in Euvitis, including hundreds of known cultivars. Vitis vinifera L. is the predominant commercial species of Euvitis, which is grown all over the world and has given rise to thousands of cultivars. Cultivars of V. vinifera form the basis of the majority of wines produced around the world. V. vinifera vines often suffer from limited cold hardiness and are susceptible to pests and diseases such as grape root aphid, phylloxera, Pierce's Disease, and the fungal diseases powdery mildew, black rot, and downy mildew. Vitis rotundifolia, normally referred to as the muscadine grape, is the only species within Muscadinia with commercial value. Muscadine grapes have many outstanding qualities, including: 1) superior resistance to a plethora of pests and diseases that make cultivation of vinifera difficult, expensive or impossible in the Southeast U.S., 2) superior ability to tolerate and resist freeze damage due to late frost, 3) superior concentrations of health promoting anti-oxidant phytochemicals in the fruit, 4) ability, in some cases, to allow mechanical harvesting of berries with dry stem scars, and 5) distinctive, pleasant floral aroma and flavor.
The genus Vitis is economically important as the source of grapes, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce wine. Commercially cultivated grapes can be classified as either table grapes, which are eaten raw, or wine grapes for wine production. While almost all grapes belong to the same species, Vitis vinifera, table and wine grapes have significant differences, brought about by selective breeding. Table grape plants tend to have large, seedless fruit with thin skin, whereas wine grapes are smaller with seeds and rather thick skins. Grapes can also be used for making jam, juice, jelly, grape seed extract, raisins, vinegar, and grape seed oil.
Antioxidants found in grapes are believed to have protective health benefits. The compound resveratrol is believed to aid in reducing propensity to vascular damage and blood pressure, among other health benefits. Resveratrol is found in varying amounts among grape varieties, primarily in their skins and seeds, which, in muscadine grapes have about one hundred times higher concentration than the pulp. Total phenolic content, which is a laboratory index of antioxidant strength, is higher in purple varieties due to anthocyanin density in purple grape skin compared to the absence of anthocyanins in white grape skin. Anthocyanins and other pigment chemicals of the larger family of polyphenols in purple grapes are responsible for the varying shades of purple in red wines. Anthocyanins are also believed to have benefits for human health. In addition, grape seed extract has been suggested to have potential anticancer effects and grape seed oil is notable for its high contents of phytosterols, polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid, oleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid.
Seedless grape cultivars are increasingly available and now make up the majority of Vitis vinifera table grape plantings. Grapevines are vegetatively propagated by cuttings and the lack of seeds poses difficulties for grape breeders, who must either use a seeded variety as the female parent or recue embryos early in development using tissue culture techniques. Although seedless table grapes offer improved eating quality, a disadvantage is the loss of the potential health benefits provided by the enriched phytochemical content of grape seeds.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop a novel table grape that combines the seedless characteristic of V. vinifera table grapes with the superior characteristics of the muscadine grape to develop a seedless muscadine grape variety having superior qualities.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification.